Admission to reception at Primary school/Year 3 Junior School & lower to middle school places for September 2023
School allocations for September 2023 entry are now being made on a weekly basis and to the following timescales
- Applications received up to and including 2nd June 2023 will be processed the week 5th June 2023 to 8th June 2023. Notification letters will be emailed or posted, second class, on 8th June
- Then every week up to the end of the summer term (25th July 2023). Notification letters will be emailed or posted, second class, on the Thursday of each week. The deadline for each week’s offer is midnight on the previous Friday.
If you need to submit a response to your allocated school notification or wish to submit a request for your child's name to be placed on the waiting list for any school of your choice, please click on the link below
However, if you are:
- A Gloucestershire resident applying for the first time
- An Out of County applicant requiring a Gloucestershire School (even if you have previously applied but want your child’s name added to a waiting list)
Please complete the “waiting list common application form”.
Where possible please email the form to us.
Please Note:
- If you have moved address since 15th January 2023, please confirm and provide proof of the new address.
- If we are able to offer your child a place from any of the waiting lists, then your original offer will be withdrawn and the new school allocated in its place.
For those parents who are happy with the school they have been allocated, the schools will be in touch with you either by email or letter.
How to appeal for a school place (Reception 2023 Entry Only)
If you feel you would like lodge an appeal and have your case heard by an Appeal Panel that is independent of the school's admission authority, please click on the following link which will direct you the appeals page.
Information on admission appeals
Key dates
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From November 2022 |
Letters sent out to Gloucestershire residents explaining how to apply for a school place |
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From 3 November 2022 to Midnight 15 January 2023 |
Application Window. Closing date for school applications is Midnight on 15 January 2023 |
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Midnight Friday 31st March 2023 |
Closing date for Summer-born deferment requests |
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Monday 17th April 2023 |
Allocation Day |
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Monday 24th April 2023 |
Closing date to return reply form accepting the School/Academy place or requesting to be put on waiting list/s |
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After Monday 15th May 2023 |
Outcome of Waiting List Requests |
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Midnight Monday, 22nd May 2023 |
Closing date for return of reply forms |
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June 2023 to July 2023 |
Appeals |
Applying for a school place during the school year, including all September 2022 entries (Reception and Junior)
To apply for a Reception 2022 place, or any other year groups, you need to apply to the school directly using the In Year Admissions process. For further information go to our in-year admissions page.
When do children start primary school in Gloucestershire?
In Gloucestershire children can start primary/infant school/academy, if their parents wish, in the September of the school year in which they become five. For children due to start in September 2023 the child's date of birth falls between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019. The school year starts on 1 September.
We have three types of primary school:
- Infant for pupils aged 4 to 7 in 3 year groups - Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
- Junior for pupils aged 7 to 11 in 4 year groups - Years 3,4,5 and 6
- Primary for pupils aged 4 to 11 in 7 year groups from Reception through to Year 6.
Transport to school - do you qualify for help?
In certain circumstances your child may get help with the cost of transport to school. We need to know how many children need transport several months before they start school in September so you need to apply as soon as you know which school your child will be going to.
You can find out how to apply on our school transport pages.
Making an application
Did you know that you must apply to the county council for a primary school place, even if you have put your name down at a school or your child has an older sibling at that school?
Every year, there are parents who do not put in an application form for their child as they believe they do not need to do so, having put their child's name down at their preferred school.
Others don't apply as they think that their child will be automatically admitted to the school their older brother and sister attends or to the school that the child's nursery or pre-school is linked to.
An application must be made to the county council for every child starting school in September 2023.
Parents can apply online 24 hours a day, seven days a week from November until midnight on 15 January or by completing a paper form which can be downloaded from the same site or requested from the county council's Co-ordinated Admissions on 01452 425407.
Full information on the admissions process and information about individual schools is available in School Admission Guidance and Infant, Primary and Junior booklet available online. It is important for parents to read this information before applying for a school place.
Parents are encouraged to list five preferred schools on their form as school places cannot be guaranteed - failing to include second, third, fourth and fifth preferences could lead to children being allocated school places parents would not have listed. Parents must apply online or return their form by 15 January 2023.
Parents will find out which school they have been allocated on 17 April and will need to return the reply form by 24 April. After 15 May, if parents have requested to go on a waiting list, requested an alternative placement, or have made a late application, they will receive the result of this stage.
Other common primary admission myths
If you only put one preference, you will be allocated that school
No. You could disadvantage yourself by not using all your preferences. If you only name one, you will only be considered for that school and if you don't get in, you could be allocated a school far away.
If you name the same school in all five preferences, you are considered five times for that school
No, this is the same as only naming one school.
Schools will only look at those children who have named them as first preference
No, schools do not know in which order they have been named. An equal ranking system is used to allocate places.
A child who has been baptised is guaranteed a place at a faith school
No, if the school receives more applications than places available the places will be offered in line with over subscription criteria of the school. These can viewed in the Infant, Primary and Junior Booklet .
If I think my preferred school will be oversubscribed, there is no point applying
You should list your preferences in your preferred order (the order you which you want them considered) as demand for places changes every year.
I am guaranteed a place at my local school even if I don't name it as a preference
No, you must name your local school if you want to be considered for a place there. If we cannot offer any of your preferences and you have not applied for your local school, it is unlikely you will be offered a place there.
Attendance at pre-school
Attendance at any pre-school group does not give a child a higher priority for admission to a particular school. Places are offered in line with the over subscription criteria of the school
Catchment areas
Generally, there are no catchment areas for primary schools. However, for Voluntary Aided, Academy or Foundation schools, you should check their individual admissions criteria in the Infant, Primary and Junior Schools Information booklet
The earlier I apply, the greater chance I have of getting my first preference
No, all applications are treated equally, regardless of when they are received as long as they are received by 15 January 2023.
Contact us
If you have not managed to find an answer to your question in the information above or in the booklets, contact us on 01452 425407 or school.admissions@gloucestershire.gov.uk